Loup and Garfield counties grow tenfold every summer as the area welcomes the 25,000 spectators, athletes, and supporters of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo.
The rodeo, hosted in Burwell for over 100 years, is a boon for local economies and an important community and cultural event. So, when a storm pummeled the town in May 2022 and destroyed the ticket office and main grandstands, residents understood the importance of restoring that critical infrastructure. Much of the $12 million project was covered by FEMA, NEMA, or insurance dollars, but the rodeo still had a gap of $1.5 million to complete the reconstruction.
Calamus Area Community Fund (CACF), the Nebraska Community Foundation affiliated fund benefiting the area, pledged $100,000 to the rebuild. For fund advisory committee members Jim and Kathy Welniak, the pledge was a significant moment in CACF’s growth.
“Realizing the historical significance and huge economic importance that NBR brings to our communities of Burwell and Taylor and surrounding areas, CACF was proud to make an impactful donation,” Jim said.
The Calamus Area Community Fund joined the NCF network in 1996 when the Welniaks, who both grew up near the area, were still living in Omaha. Though the couple enjoyed their time in the big city, by 2013 they were ready to return to the Sandhills. They purchased a ranch outside of Taylor and began writing the next chapter of their lives.
“We returned to our true loves of ranching, horses, and small-town community,” Jim said. “The natural beauty of this area, the Sandhills, the Calamus Reservoir, the rivers, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, and the people truly make this a special place to us.”
The Calamus area’s culture of hard work and generosity are also a natural fit for Jim and Kathy. They had been involved in various nonprofit organizations in Omaha, so being among neighbors with the same passion for giving back felt comfortable. Before long, the Welniaks became involved with CACF.
“We stepped in at an amazing time,” Jim said. “It’s truly making a difference out here and giving back to future generations so they can live, work, and play here in this beautiful region, just as we have been able to.”
The Calamus Area Community Fund has been involved in many quality-of-life projects in the region, including Sandhills First Steps Daycare, playgrounds, parks, and pools. The fund also supports the maintenance of the Burwell Veterans Memorial Park, historical preservation through the Loup County and Garfield County historical societies, and the stewardship of the Taylor Arboretum and Harrop Sandhills Park. The Fund has also awarded grants to local fire and rescue departments.
Central to the Calamus area’s continued success is CACF’s unrestricted endowment, a permanent account whose assets are invested to generate an ongoing source of income for the community. Investment earnings from the endowment are used to support community improvements and programs. CACF’s volunteer fund advisory committee welcomes feedback from the community as it determines how the money generated from the endowment will be used to benefit the Calamus Area. The account’s growth has been steady, increasing from $140,000 in 2012 to $930,000 at the end of 2024—a testament to the community’s dedication.
“We’re following a whole line of hard-working volunteers and forefathers who started the Fund,” Kathy said. “We’re just amazed that they had the vision to get the unrestricted endowment in place.”
That vision has inspired the Welniaks to give generously to the place they love. To increase their impact, they met with NCF’s Director of Gift Planning Todd Mekelburg to learn the most effective way to leave a legacy in the Calamus area. After many informative discussions, both over the phone and in person, Jim and Kathy decided to establish a donor-advised fund (DAF). As part of the DAF’s creation, they had to decide on final distribution plans. During that process, they decided to designate the Calamus Area Community Fund’s unrestricted endowment as a beneficiary.
“It’s very important for us that our gift keeps on giving,” Kathy said. “That’s one of the reasons why we made a planned gift and why we give our yearly gifts. It’s because we see the impact, it’s always going to be there.”
They also included NCF in their estate plan. Through their experience with CACF and NCF’s statewide board, the Welniaks have had an opportunity to see how communities across Nebraska benefit from the larger network.
“You can’t just be concerned for your area,” Kathy said. “You want all of Nebraska to succeed.”
Growing the unrestricted endowment is a priority for the local fund advisory committee, especially as wealth transfers occur more frequently. Through this decade, $287 million will move from older to younger generations in Loup and Garfield counties. If just 5% ($14.35 million) went to community organizations or causes, it would be an incredible injection of resources. If placed in an unrestricted endowment, that wealth would be a powerful tool for future generations. The Welniaks and their fellow FAC members will continue to work toward making the Calamus area a place people want to call home.
“We hope it’s thriving and not surviving,” Kathy said. “You just hope everything is in place for people like us that want to retire and come back and start a new chapter or people starting new businesses or young families moving back. We’ve got to have our daycares, our schools, our health care, our nursing homes, our housing in place for them.”
If you would like to find out more about planned giving for yourself or for your community, visit nebcommfound.giftlegacy.com or contact Nebraska Community Foundation at tmekelburg@nebcommfound.org, 402.323.7343.
